Ken (Billy) Bilyard is one of our original volunteers and has been with us right from the beginning in summer of 2016. 

 

Billy is our boat builder for the big jobs - the 420 sailors (you know who you are!) are lucky to have a competent tradesman available to mend our old boats.

 

His whole life has been arranged around boats – either building or sailing them.

 

The very first little boat he built was at the age of 5 – with a bit of help from his Dad.

 

One fact - he didn’t start life as a sailor - the first family boat he built in Hamilton back in the 70’s was a 20ft cabin cruiser called Twinkle.  After that there has been a series of boats, Noelex 22, Tracker and finally a  Lotus 9.2.   The boats got progressively bigger as the family got older.  

 

Andante, Ken and Diane's Lotus 9.2, was launched in 1984 and is still looking good out in Parua Bay.

 

He finally gave in and got a Takacat (rubber ducky) a few years ago but until then all the dinghies have been built in the shed too.

 

Ken is always generous with his time and expertise and has helped a fair few boaties get their boats on the water.  He has been the repair boat at Team Sailing nationals for three years.  The Whangarei Teams love him being there and he is legendary to the Nelson Boys team.   

 

Ken grew up in the Waikato, boating out of Whangamata and in the lakes.  He knows almost every nook and cranny from Tauranga up to the Three Kings.  He has also sailed up to and in the islands and is a life member of Musket Cove Yacht club.  These days Billy prefers to just go with the flow and head off up north in Andante for holidays.  

 

Billy  has a great sense of humour (sometimes a little mischievous in fact) and living locally keeps returning to help the team out whether it’s on the water or to fix up a boat or two, as well as catch up with friends and family.  We are very lucky to have him as part of our team.

 

Billy and his lovely wife Diane have 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren (who all live in Whangarei).  You may have already met them, as they are often part of the team and our sailing family.  Billy is always keen for a chat and a catch up, so don’t forget to say hello next time you see him down at sailing.